UAMS Family Medicine

11/25/2025

Check out the recent article on how primary care can screen for youth substance abuse. The chances of someone developing an addiction are 6 times higher for teens who started before 15 than those who delay use until they're 21 or older. Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network-ABHIN River Valley Medical Wellness Aaron Weiner, PhD

Ninety percent of people addicted to substances started drugs before they were 18, and anxiety, depression and even su***de are often linked with addiction. That’s why early detection is crucial, said Caitlyn Johnson and Kim Shuler, licensed social workers with Arkansas Behavioral Health Integrati...

11/21/2025

On , here's a shoutout to UAMS' rural track residency programs at Crossett, Berryville/Eureka Springs and El Dorado. Dr. Donya Watson and Dr. C'Asia James at El Dorado offer obstetric care to patients in rural south Arkansas and recently presented on first trimester bleeding at the UAMS Family Medicine Grand Rounds. It's critical that rural family medicine providers are able to care for pregnant women since 14% of labor and delivery units in Arkansas have shut down since 2020 with another 24% at risk of closing. UAMS South Regional Campus - Magnolia UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences UAMS Family Medicine Residency Program

11/09/2025

11/08/2025

UAMS' Robert Hopkins Jr., M.D., a national expert on immunizations, told attendees at the Family Medicine Update that influenza was severe last season in the United States. More than 280 children died from the the flu, the worst since the 2009-2010 season. Was the vaccine a bad match for the virus? No, he said. The problem was low vaccinations. His advice to providers when patients start questioning vaccinations is to pivot to a respectful conversation with a brief motivational interview, engage, establish trust, and if the appointment ends with no vaccination, revisit next time. Don't consider it a failure. UAMS Internal Medicine Residency UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians

11/07/2025

Daniela Ramirez-Aguilar, an epidemiologist with the Arkansas Central Cancer Registry, said that 64% of Arkansas patients die who are diagnosed with lung cancer, which may be due to a lack of early screening. However, the mortality rate for breast cancer is only 16%, and colorectal cancer shows 35%. She presented these findings at the UAMS Family Medicine Update last week. UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Arkansas Cancer Coalition UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

11/05/2025

Highlights from the Family Medicine Update, Day 2. The morning started with duo pediatric docs Rachel Ekdahl and Satvika Mikkilineni discussing respiratory viruses in kids, what to look for and how to treat. A surprising takeaway was the recently released information on nasal saline drops for a cold. A study showed fewer family members caught the cold (46% vs. 61% for usual care), and 82% of parents said the drops helped the child get better sooner. A bonus is they're inexpensive to use.
Sign up to watch 12 hours of CME/CE on-demand at https://cvent.me/G30x5d.

Arkansas Children's UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

11/04/2025

Women who are close to menopause or experiencing symptoms should not be told to "tough it out" or "get through it," said Alexis White, M.D., a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner at UAMS. She spoke at the Family Medicine Update on the challenges of menopause and hormone replacement therapy. While HRT benefits cognitive function for those transitioning to menopause, it has no cognitive benefit for women starting late. For a recording of Dr. White's talk, sign up at https://cvent.me/G30x5d.

UAMS Women's Health

11/03/2025

Meghan Breckling, PharmD, and Leah Tobey-Moore, DPT, spoke on Naloxone, the life-saving drug for opioid overdose, at the Family Medicine Update last Thursday. The good news is that opioid prescriptions in Arkansas are dropping from a high of 120 prescriptions per 100 people to 72 per 100. The bad news is that the state is still #1 in the U.S. Together Arkansas UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Watch all sessions from the conference on-demand. Sign up at https://cvent.me/G30x5d

10/30/2025

UAMS Family Medicine Update Talk #2 with Shona Ray-Griffith, M.D., was on perinatal substance use. She revealed that half of the pregnant women who have opioid use disorder have 4 or more pregnancies...and 80%-plus are unintended. She warned that fentanyl is laced in 90% of opioids off the street, which lasts longer in the system than opioids alone. She recommended micro-dosing buprenorphine over a few days/weeks to allow the opioid receptors to grow used to it. UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences UAMS Women's Health Arkansas Children's

10/30/2025

The virtual UAMS Family Medicine Update kicked off with a day on Opioids and the Young and a practical talk on how to screen adolescents for substance use. Caitlyn Johnson and Kim Shuler, both licensed clinical social workers with Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network-ABHIN, use the SBIRT screening tool. They said to avoid sounding judgmental when screening kids by using followup phrases such as, "I'm curious, why do you say using alcohol makes you feel bad?" The non-threatening question weakens defensiveness and helps them create steps to stop the behavior. It's not too late to sign up for the conference, lasting through Oct. 31.https://cvent.me/G30x5d UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

10/29/2025

Ashley Shuffield, M.D., is now part of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an assistant professor. Shuffield received her medical degree from UAMS in 2019. She completed her family medicine residency at the UAMS Northeast Regional Campus in Jonesboro in 2022 and joined the Baptist Health Family Clinic-Conway West, where she practiced until her recruitment to UAMS. Shuffield will see patients and teach at the UAMS Neighborhood Clinic in Maumelle. UAMS Family Medicine Residency Program UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences UAMS Northeast Regional Campus - Jonesboro

10/27/2025

We're headed down the stretch before the virtual Family Medicine Update begins in 2 days on Oct. 29! The 12 hours of content is just for family medicine, with highlights including kids' sniffles and fever, hypertension, menopause, adult immunizations, cancer trends for Arkansas and more. Day 1 features Opioids and the Young for only $25. Lots to check out. https://cvent.me/G30x5d